- Online poker handle in New Jersey increased by 53.5% in October year-over-year.
- Real money poker activity is down slightly from September.
- Online poker trailed behind online slots.
TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey has seen a steady supply of online poker activity in 2020 and it continued in October. While the October numbers are far higher in 2020 when compared to 2019, total gambling handle is less than September’s numbers.
Due to the pandemic, there has been a steady increase in online gambling activity as a whole in New Jersey, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has revealed.
Despite the boom in activity, however, USA online poker is third behind online slots and online table games in the online New Jersey gambling market.
Online Poker Thrives
The numbers show that 2020 has been the year for online gambling in New Jersey. Online poker’s continued activity is further proof.
Online poker gambling handle in October is up 53.5% compared to the same time in 2019. Per the official report, online poker hit $2,517,774 in the Garden State.
This is down compared to the $2,554,216 in September, but as the fall is not substantial, it is proof of a sustained online poker market.
While the online poker numbers are still impressive year over year, the games is not as big as online slots. Online slots saw a 108.7% increase in 2020 so far, and have generated over $90.9 million in revenue.
Although online slots have proven to be the real money maker for the gambling market in New Jersey, the steady online poker scene does show that gamblers in the Garden State want to partake in poker even during a pandemic.
Land-based casino operations have suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making USA online gambling the sole option for many players. The growth year over year of online poker is proof of this.
What the coronavirus variable does is make it unclear whether the online poker boom will continue, or if it is just a product of circumstance. Should the state open back up fully and more gamblers are able to play poker in person, will the market continue to thrive?
For now, however, New Jersey has continued to benefit from the online gambling boom. Online poker is projected to remain steady leading into the new year.